Prince Harry demanded taxpayer-funded police protection after al-Qaeda death threats

The Duke of Sussex, Prince Harry, attended the Court of Appeal last week as part of his ongoing legal battle with the Home Office over the level of taxpayer-funded security he is entitled to when visiting the UK.

In February 2020, the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (Ravec) made a decision to reduce Prince Harry’s security while in the UK, providing him with a different level of protection compared to other members of the royal family.

The Duke is appealing a High Court ruling from last year, which dismissed his case against the Home Office.

At the Court of Appeal, his legal team presented new evidence, including threats from the terrorist group al-Qaeda.

The court was informed that al-Qaeda had published a document calling for Prince Harry’s " be murdered," stating that his assassination would please the Muslim community.

Harry confirmed that he had requested increased protection after the extremist group al-Qaeda threatened his life.

The court was informed that the prince, who has previously spoken about facing a greater risk than his late mother, Princess Diana, due to “additional layers of racism and extremism,”

He believes his family are exposed to an “international threat.”

Harry’s lawyers argued that the royal and VIP executive committee (Ravec) had failed to follow its usual procedures by not involving a risk management board to assess his security.

They claimed that there was "no good reason" for departing from the normal process. The Home Office, which oversees Ravec’s decisions, is opposing Harry’s appeal.

The legal dispute comes after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced their decision to step back from official royal duties in January 2020.

During the subsequent “Sandringham summit,” it was confirmed that the couple would not be eligible for full-time police protection.

Currently, full protection is granted to King Charles, Queen Camilla, the Prince and Princess of Wales, and their three children.

However, following the Sussexes' decision to step back from royal duties in early 2020, the Royal and VIP Executive Committee (Ravec) concluded that Metropolitan Police protection would no longer be appropriate for Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, during their visits.

Instead, a “bespoke” security service was arranged, requiring them to give 30 days’ notice of any plans to travel to the UK. Each visit would then be assessed to determine if protection was necessary.

At the Court of Appeal, Shaheed Fatima KC, representing the duke, argued that Harry had been “singled out for different, unjustified and inferior treatment.”

Fatima added that Harry “does not accept that ‘bespoke’ means ‘better’,” highlighting the uncertainty and inadequate level of protection that Harry faces during his visits.

A decision from the Court of Appeal is expected to be delivered in writing at a later date.